FC Talanta shock champions Tusker at Ruaraka

 Francis Kahiro

FC Talanta's Francis Kahiro celebrates his goal against Tusker during their Football Kenya Federation Premier League match at Ruaraka grounds on October 27, 2021.

Photo credit: Sila Kiplagat | Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

  • Francis Kahiro's brace gave the newly promoted side the three points against Robert Matano's side, who lost their first match 1-0 to AFC Leopards.

Defending champions Tusker Wednesday suffered their second loss of the season after going down 2-1 to newbies FC Talanta in a Football Kenya Federation Premier League match at Ruaraka grounds, Nairobi.

Francis Kahiro's brace gave the newly promoted side the three points against Robert Matano's side, who lost their first match 1-0 to AFC Leopards. Jackson Macharia had equalised for the brewers in the 62nd minute.

This was not the return to league action that coach Rpbert Matano wanted after their elimination from the Caf Champions League last week after a 5-0 aggregate loss to Egyptian champions Zamalek.

The result sees Talanta rise to fifth in the league standings with eight points and Tusker remain rooted at the bottom of the table with no points.

Tusker coach Robert Matano bemoaned the wasted chances and blamed the loss on lack of focus from his star studded side.

“We didn’t use our chances and they also had a very solid defence. Congratulations to them and we have to work extra hard with the crop of players we have to turn things around in our upcoming games,” said Matano.

His opposite number Ken Kenyatta was over the moon praising his charges for playing their game and scoring the second goal even after Tusker had got the equaliser.

“My players contained them, enjoyed the game and struck at their (Tusker's) weakest point possible. Even after they got their goal, we showed we were up for a win and ultimately the goal came,” said Kenyatta. 

Talanta started fast

The match got off to a slow start but action picked up in the 5th minute when Talanta threatened from a freekick taken by Evans Makari.

Tusker's goalkeeper Brian Bwire was forced to parry the ball over the bar after a clearance from an Evans Makari freekick, but he had no chance of stopping Francis Kahiro from sweeping the ball into the net four minutes later.

Ken Kenyatta

FC Talanta coach Ken Kenyatta gestures during their Football Kenya Federation Premier League match against Tusker at Ruaraka grounds on October 27, 2021.

Photo credit: Sila Kiplagat | Nation Media Group

Delivering from the same position on the right wing, Makari sent a ball which the Tusker defence failed to cleared leaving Kahiro with an easy task of guiding the ball into the net at the far post.

Tusker responded almost immediately in the 10th minute, but Stewart Omondi shot over the bar after being set up by Macharia inside the box.

That was to mark the beginning of Tusker's long struggle for an equaliser as Tanzanian forward Ibrahim Joshua saw his tame shot roll out of play in the 26th minute at the end of a neat move by the brewers.

Talanta's goalkeeper Kevin Otieno almost gave Tusker a lifeline in the 31st minute when he almost parried Stewart Omondi's in-swinger into his own net.

Three minutes later, the Tusker players turned their heads to referee George Mwai in appeal for a penalty after Macharia had been fouled in the box, but the he waved play on.

The five minutes that followed were punctuated with Tusker attacks that resulted in Joshua heading wide from a John Njuguna corner in the 37th minute and later blasting a  half-volley to the sky after pouncing on a long pass from the defence at the edge of Talanta's penalty area.

Robert Matano

Tusker coach Robert Matano looks on during their Football Kenya Federation Premier League match against FC Talanta at Ruaraka grounds on October 27, 2021.

Photo credit: Sila Kiplagat | Nation Media Group

Upto this point Talanta had rarely threatened and they almost rued resting on their laurels when Tusker almost snatched an equaliser in the 44th minute.

Eugene Asike's long ball to the right wing was controlled well by Njuguna who sent a pin-point cross to Clyde Senaji, whose free header went narrowly over the bar.

Senaji was involved again in the second minute of first-half added time. Kevin Otieno had handled a back-pass from Alvin Ochieng' leading to Tusker getting an indirect freekick inside the Talanta box.

Talanta players made strong protest about the decision, but Mwai kept the cards in his pockets.

When calm restored, Kevin Otieno was forced to turn away Senaji's curler to the right corner for a Tusker corner.

The second half started with Talanta coach Ken Kenyatta taking off the quiet Brian Yakhama and Anthony Gichu for Edwin Lavatsa and Enock Momanyi.

Tusker almost fell behind again two minutes after the restart, but Kahiro's bulky dreadlocked-ponytail prevented him from making good contact with an aerial ball inside Tusker's box.

The referee was forced to stop play temporarily in the 53rd minute after Michael Jairo went down and remained motionless following a collision with Hillary Wandera.

This prompted the medics to enter the field of play and after stabilising the player, they stretched him off for further medical attention in the ambulance. Jairo was replaced by Vincent Otieno.

Play restarted with Tusker having already made a triple change. Boniface Muchiri, Kevin Okoth, and Shami Kibwana replaced John Njuguna, Rodgers Ouma, and Stewart Omondi. 

The impact of the substitutions was felt nine minutes later when their influence on the game culminated in Joshua feeding Macharia, who jinked past his marker before putting the ball beyond the goalkeeper's reach.

However, Tusker's suffered a setback in the 69th minute when Kahiro restored the visiting team's lead after rising high to connect perfectly with Enock Momanyi's cross from the right wing.

Kenyatta responded to that goal by bringing on defender Eugene Ambulwa for midfielder Vincent Otieno so as to protect the advantage.

Ambulwa almost put Talanta 3-1 up in the 73rd minute, but his header from a well-worked corner kick routine went over the bar at the near post.

Tusker had a chance to equalise from a freekick in the 79th minute, but Muchiri's attempt went straight to the hands of the goalkeeper.

Tusker coach Robert Matano prepared for a tense final minutes by taking off scorer Macharia for Lawrence Luvanda in the 89th minute.

The five minutes of added time produced sequences of play that would have seen either Talanta put the game beyond Tusker's reach or Tusker punish their profligacy with an equaliser.

Kahiro almost completed his hat-trick, but he failed to connect with Momanyi's low pass across the face of goal.

A few seconds later, Kevin Otieno had to be alert to deny Luvanda as Tusker failed to capitalise on the resulting corner.

Shami Kibwana then shot high over the bar in Tusker's last attack before Mwai blew the final whistle to condemn the home team to their second league defeat of the season.